Karnataka - Mysore   

Reckless tourists keep police on their toes

MYSORE: Incidents such as tourists drowning, especially students and software professionals, at Muttatti, a picturesque spot on the banks of the Cauvery, off Kanakapura Road in Mandya district, has made the district police evolve a contingency plan to prevent recurrence of such events.

Sunday’s tragedy in which four youths from Bangalore drowned has brought into focus the tourists’ safety.

Muttatti, which is 115 km from Bangalore and 65 km from Mandya, attracts a large number of visitors, especially the techies, during the weekend.

The number of tourists at Muttatti during weekends and holidays easily touches 7,000.

Despite being a popular tourist spot near Bangalore, it lacks a police outpost. An assistant sub-inspector or a sub-inspector is posted there with five constables under him during weekends, to manage the crowds. “The terrain where the place is located is hard and is spread across a 5-km area. So, it is difficult to kept a tab on each and every visitor. In spite of warning boards being put up on the riverside, people ignore them and get into the water. Sometimes, it ends in tragedies,” said Mandya Superintendent of Police Kaushalendra Kumar. “On several occasions, they do not care for warnings. We can only warn them, but it is not possible for us to physically prevent them from getting into the water,” a police officer told The Hindu.

Whenever the Chunchi waterfalls, located near Muttatti, is in full flow because of heavy rains, the number of visitors rises there, causing anxiety to the police.

Muttatti is not easily accessible. Visitors have to arrange for transportation on their own as the public transport system is poor. Techies and students come in cars and motorcycles.

Youngsters have also been seen getting into the water after having a few drinks. “This is one of the main reasons for the increasing number of accidents, as they lose control over their vehicles after alcohol consumption,” sources said.

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